


Starting From Zero

by sarcasticnotsardonic



Category: Switched at Birth (TV)
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Love, reconnecting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-09
Updated: 2017-04-08
Packaged: 2018-10-16 15:48:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10574499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sarcasticnotsardonic/pseuds/sarcasticnotsardonic
Summary: Sometimes the best thing to do when you have such a complicated history is to start from scratch.Takes place post-season 5 after Travis goes to Japan (No spoilers for the series finale. Just my predictions).





	

_“We haven’t been in the same place in a very long time.”_

 

_“Well, we’re in the same place now.”_

 

***

 

The unexpected whir of a motorcycle breaks her concentration. She wasn’t prepared for this. To see him. Now. Tonight.

As he walks towards her the butterflies in her stomach go from non-existent to swarming. She shouldn’t be feeling like this. Travis _just_ left. They just broke up. The body wasn’t even close to being cold.

And yet.

“Sorry,” he says, “I didn’t realize you’d be here. I could go if you want…”

His words are sincere, but his eyes are betraying him. He doesn’t want her to tell him to go. He is hoping that she’ll let him stay.

Which, that, yeah, she could do.

But more than that?

“No, it’s fine.” She pats the bench beside her. “Sit.”

He hesitates for a moment and then obliges her.

She’s nervous. He can tell by the way she continues to twist the silver band ring around her pointer finger.

“So, Travis left.”

She acknowledges this with a nod.

Now it’s his turn to be nervous as he fidgets and runs his hand through his hair.

“Are you, you know, _okay_?”

She offers him a half-smile. “Yeah, I’m okay.”

“No offense, Bay, but that doesn’t exactly sound convincing.”  

She quickly averts her eyes as a small tear begins to form. And that kills him a little. She turns back to him, a twinge of guilt lingering.

“You don’t have to do that,” he explains, “It’s okay if you miss him. You guys were together for a while. It’d be weird if you didn’t miss him.”

“That’s not why I’m upset.”

“Oh. Then why?”

She slumps her shoulders.

“I wasn’t sitting here missing Travis. I was sitting here missing _you._ ” She shakes her head and starts to laugh. “How awful is that? I mean the guy who was my _boyfriend_ for nearly a year is probably boarding a plane as we speak that’s about to head to Japan, and I’m not even all that sad that’s gone. What does that say about me?”

“I don’t think it says anything.”

“Emmett, c’mon.”

“I know you care about him, Bay. But you know this is a great opportunity for him, and that’s probably why. You’re not letting yourself feel sad because you don’t want to keep him from this chance of a lifetime.”

She gives him this look that he can’t quite place; it knocks him a bit off balance.

“What?”

“You always do that, you know.”

“I do?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“And what is that?”

“Make me out to be a better person than I am, giving more credit than I deserve.”

“Ha! I think you’re a little mixed up there. If anything, you’re the one who gives me more credit than I deserve.”

“What if we call it even?”

He nods. “I think I can agree to that.”

She turns her head up at the sky and he follows her gaze until he sees the full moon. It’s really beautiful tonight.

And then she’s no longer looking at the sky. He can tell because he can feel her watching him.

“I do miss him. He’s a good guy.” She bites her lip in hesitation. “He’s just not _the_ guy.”

Without even realizing it, he finds himself closing in to kiss her, but his attempt is thwarted just as fast by her hand.

“We can’t, Emmett.”

He tries to hide his disappointment, but admittedly it comes off as quite half-assed.

Her bottom lip quivers ever so slightly. “I’m sorry,” she says, and he knows it’s painful for her.

“It’s okay,” he responds, waving her off.

“It’s not that I don’t want -

He cuts her off with an “It’s _fine.”_

But there’s a bite in his tone and Bay picks up on it.

“I just think we both need to take a beat here before we jump into something that we’re not ready for.  You have to admit, Emmett, we haven’t exactly been in the same place in our lives in a very long time.”

“Well, we’re in the same place now.”

She gives his hand a little squeeze.

“I’d say that’s a good start.”

He squeezes her hand back.

“I think so, too.”


End file.
